Antique French Napoleon III Pocket Watch Casket or Display, a Miniature Vitrine

Charming antique French Napoleon III or Victorian era pocket watch or pendant display casket or miniature vitrine, a lovely little box with thick beveled glass canted facade and sides set in a rich gold or gilded pressed brass framework!  Referred to as a "porte montre" in France, an item whose sole purpose is to beautifully display your timepiece when not in use.  Of course, it could also be used to display a treasured pendant or smaller portrait miniature or even religious relic.  Surely a souvenir of some sort and similar to the small French pocket watch caskets that we've had in the past though there is no place or region inscription on this one.  Original tufted pale blue silk or satin base and backing, quite age tattered but there, and the original ornate little hook toward the top is secure.  Great to display a fine antique or heirloom pocket watch or pendant. The Napoleon III period, also known as the Second Empire, was marked by a revival of grandeur and artistic eclecticism.